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Jurong Bird Park
Jurong Bird Park ( ; ; ), is a tourist attraction in Singapore managed by Wildlife Reserves Singapore. It is a landscaped park, built on the western slope of Jurong Hill. It is located within the Boon Lay Planning Area of the Jurong district and has an area of . History The idea of a permanent bird exhibit was first conceived by late Dr Goh Keng Swee, then Minister for Finance, in 1968. During a World Bank Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Dr Goh visited its zoological garden and was impressed with its free-flight aviary. He sought to see that Jurong would be more than an industrial zone that Singaporeans would have a place where they could escape from urban life, where people could relax with nature. On 3 January 1971, Jurong Bird Park, built at a cost of S$3.5 million, was opened to the public. Jurong Bird Park is now a world-famous bird zoo where there are specimens of magnificent bird life from around the world, including a large flock of flamingos. It is currently the world's largest bird park in terms of number of birds, and second largest both in number of bird species and land area (after Germany's Weltvogelpark Walsrode). There are 5,000 birds of 380 species in Jurong Bird Park. Of these, 29 are of threatened species. In 2006, Jurong Bird Park completed its S$10-million makeover. With the upgrading, the park now boasts a new entrance plaza, a park-owned and managed Bongo Burgers restaurant, a Ben & Jerry's ice cream parlour, a gift shop and a bird hospital. Exhibits * African Waterfall Aviary: The African Waterfall Aviary is the second largest walk-in aviary in the world, covering and including more than 600 free-flying birds from over 50 species. The aviary is named after the Jurong Falls, the world's tallest man-made waterfall. Species include Golden-breasted Starling, turacos, and the hoopoe. * Dinosaur Descendants: in one corner of the zoo there is a section full of flightless birds. Ostriches, emus, rheas, and cassowaries are the residents of this exhibit. * Southeast Asian Birds Aviary: Visitors can view the largest collection of Southeast Asian birds, which has over 200 species. There are large, central walk-in aviary and peripheral aviaries that house the more delicate or territorial birds. A daily simulated mid-day thunderstorm is followed by a cool, light drizzle. Territorial species are kept in large cages, while species that can coexist with each other (fruit doves and pigeons being two examples) are left to fly free in the aviary. * Lory Loft covers , is about 9 storeys high, and is the world's largest walk-in flight aviary for lories and lorikeets, with over 1,000 free-flying lories. The ambience is similar to that of a rainforest valley in tropical Northern Australia. Visitors can offer the lories a special nectar mix and the birds will flock to them. * Penguin Coast houses five species of penguins within . Featuring a tall Portuguese galleon facade designed to resemble a ship, the interior of Penguin Coast is constructed with timber beams and wooden flooring. Penguin Coast is home to the Humboldt, Rockhopper, Macaroni and King Penguins which live in an indoor, climate-controlled den as well as an outdoor penguin enclosure showcasing African penguins, one of the few species that are adapted to the tropics. Joining them are the Cape Shelducks and gulls. * World of Darkness: Asia's first nocturnal bird house features a system of reverse lighting, converting day to night and vice versa. On display are 60 birds from 17 species, like the Night Herons, Fish Owls, boobook owls and Snowy Owls. It is akin to a quiet nocturnal walk along a starlit jungle path, watching birds in their nocturnal surroundings and hearing them beckon. * Pelican Cove: Visitors can catch a glimpse of all 7 species of pelicans, including the endangered Dalmatian Pelican. There is a boardwalk, where visitors can stroll along and observe these birds. Visitors can also see the pelicans at the world's first underwater viewing gallery for pelicans, where the birds scoop for fish at feeding time. Shows * High Flyers Show: This birdshow showcases the world's largest number of performing birds in a single act. Besides highlighting the antics of talented birds like the mimicking cockatoos, this show is also a window for visitors to the natural behaviour of birds like pelicans, flamingos and hornbills. * Kings of the Skies Show: Visitors can watch birds of prey such as eagles, hawks and falcons, who will fly in aerial loops and soar above the treetops. Visitors will also learn about falconry as these birds are put through their actions in a simulated hunt. * Lunch with the Parrots: Visitors can enjoy an entertaining parrot show over lunch, with a beautiful view of the Flamingo Lake in the background. List of birds in Jurong Bird Park Some of the species kept at Jurong bird park: Awards Awarded to Jurong Bird Park * ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 * Aseanta 2004, 2007 Excellence Awards * Best Loved Pro-Family Businesses 2006 * Superstar Winner of the 2004 Excellent Service Awards (Leisure attractions) * Tourism Host of the Year 2003 – Leisure Attraction Transport Jurong Bird Park can be accessed on services 194 or 251 from Boon Lay Bus Interchange each operated by Metroline, which has connections to the Mass Rapid Transit at Boon Lay MRT station. See also * Night Safari, Singapore * Singapore Botanic Gardens * Singapore Zoo * River Safari, Singapore References * Véronique Sanson (1992), Gardens and Parks of Singapore, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-588588-0 External links * * * Visitor's Info * Jurong Bird Park on YourSingapore.com Category:Visitor attractions in Singapore Category:Aviaries Category:Jurong Bird Park Category:1971 establishments in Singapore Category:Boon Lay Category:Bird parks